List of Wars

War is an organized and often prolonged conflict that is carried out by states or non-state actors. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, social disruption, and economic destruction. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities, and therefore is defined as a form of (collective) political violence or intervention. The set of techniques used by a group to carry out war is known as warfare. An absence of war is usually called peace.

Described below are some of the wars that have taken place.

Contents

World War II

Starting on September 1, 1939 and ending on September 2, 1945, World War II, sometimes referred to by the Russians as the Great Patriotic War for the Eastern Front, was a global military conflict that involved most of the planet's nations, and mobilized over 100,000,000 military personnel. It was divided into two factions, the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers. This was one of the world's deadliest conflicts, resulting in the deaths of 70,000,000 civilians. The war started with the Invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, and the declaration of war by most of the British Commonwealth and by France. However, there were wars already going on before that time, such as the Second Italo-Abyssinian War between Ethiopia and Italy, and the Second Sino-Japanese War between China and Japan. Several countries joined at a later date, such as during the German Invasion of the Soviet Union, the Japanese Air Raid on Pearl Harbor as well as Declarations of War on Japan by the United States, Netherlands, and the British Commonwealth.

The war was mostly caused by the Treaty of Versaillis, which resulted in Germany losing 13% of its home territories, losing the overseas colonies, outlawed from annexing new colonies, limiting its armed forces, as well as having to pay massive reparations. China attempted to unify its providences into a unified nation, but in 1922, it became consumed in Civil War. Japan, having become increasingly militaristic, also began trying to take advantage of the Mukden Incident during a unified China's civil war to try and invade it and enforce its right to rule Asia. Italy also ended up becoming a Fascist State under the rule of Benito Mussolini who promised a new Roman Empire. Adolf Hitler, ten years after his failed attempt at overthrowing the German government, was elected Chancellor of Germany. He then abolished democracy, introduced Nazism into the country, and began a rearmanent campaign, which resulted in the backing of Italy's invasion of Ethiopia, rearming Saarland, invading Austria, remilitarizing Rhineland, participating in the Spanish Civil War. During the war, he also led an extermination campaign against the Jewish populace. Notable battles during the war were the Invasion of Normandy, under Operation Overlord, the Battle of the Bulge, the Battle of Midway, the Battle of Iwo Jima, and several others.

Cold War

Korean War

Starting on September 25, 1950, the Korean War was the result of the Communist-backed North Korea and the Capitalist-backed South Korea fighting over the territory of Korea, with North Korea trying to invade South Korea. While an official end to the war hasn't been given, it has been given a cease-fire on July 27th, 1953 that has been enacted onwards.

Vietnam War

Starting on September 26, 1959 and ending on April 30, 1975, the Vietnam War was a conflict where the pro-communist North Vietnam attempted to invade the anti-communist South Vietnam. Official American aid was not given during Kennedy's term. However, there have been American Operations in North Vietnam, where they attempted to aid South Vietnamese in holding back the invasion. Lyndon B. Johnson then enacted official American support for the war effort on 1965. The turning point in support for the war came with the Tet Offensive, where the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese ended up losing a lot of their numbers, but at the same time also resulted in the mainstream media becoming more and more against the war.

The war came to an end in 1975 after Saigon, South Vietnam's capital, fell to the North Vietnamese forces due in part to several members of Congress halting relief aid for the South Vietnamese. U.S. involvement ended a year earlier when President Richard Nixon started a withdrawal from the country.